Blink and You Die

  ‘No!’ Ruby screamed.

  And then there was Bug. From nowhere he appeared, leaping into the air, knocking into the woman, who lost her footing and went skidding towards the black abyss.

  Almost travelling in slow motion to where the water lapped up through the ice.

  Her eyes wide with terror, her mouth a silent scream as she disappeared in.

  She would not be found until spring.

  Ruby began to yell Baker’s name.

  ‘Bradley! Bradley! You can’t do this!’ She only left off when Bug began to bark and she saw him pounding at the ice beneath her feet.

  She knew what to do.

  The laser function on the Bradley Baker Escape Watch made easy work of the ice, and in under thirty seconds Ruby and Bug were pulling at him, heaving his exhausted body from the oil-dark water. Ruby’s strength came from that superhuman place of life and death. As he emerged from this underworld, she let go his hand and sank to her knees. She had saved Bradley Baker as he had saved her, and the Australian? She was gone.

  ‘You gotta get warm,’ Ruby said, and she began peeling off his coat. ‘It will kill you, you have to get warm.’ She snatched the reindeer furs from the dog sled. ‘You gotta wrap yourself in these.’

  He didn’t move.

  ‘You have to,’ she said, her face so earnest he smiled.

  ‘It’s not funny,’ she said, ‘you’ll die.’

  ‘I know,’ he said.

  He didn’t look so good. He really didn’t.

  ‘This is my fault,’ said Ruby. ‘If I hadn’t tried to find Hitch, you would not be here now.’

  ‘Oh, that’s baloney, Ruby, that’s not how it is, you know that, right? Tell me you know that?’

  She was silent.

  ‘My dying has been a long time coming, so if my last breath was taken saving you then it was worth dying for.’

  Ruby began to speak but Bradley Baker stopped her.

  ‘Listen, Ruby,’ he said, ‘these people, well, they aren’t people at all, they’re monsters and they will track you down until they have what they want, and what they want above all else is you.’

  She looked at him like she didn’t understand.

  And she didn’t understand.

  He grabbed her arm and closed his fingers hard around her wrist.

  ‘Wake up, Ruby, you gotta see, open your eyes, you start blaming yourself for any of this then you can’t win. LB did what she had to do, and she was right. I would have done the same.’

  He seemed to catch sight of something way above him, his eyes tracking this imaginary thing as if there might be something floating across the blue. She followed his gaze, but there was nothing there.

  ‘You have the answer. You’re the only one who can make sense of it.’

  He looked very pale, the blood gone from his face. He was dying, she could see that.

  ‘You’re not making any sense,’ said Ruby. ‘Tell me what you mean!’ She was shaking him now, this man almost gone, this agent of old, the only one who could unlock the past and cast up the future.

  ‘What are we without memory?’ he said. ‘Lose memory and lose ourselves.’

  ‘What are you saying?’ she pleaded.

  ‘It’s in you,’ was all he said.

  ‘I have the answer? Me? Ruby Redfort? Is that what you mean? Stop dying, and tell me!’ She shook him. ‘What answer?’

  ‘You,’ he said. ‘You are the answer.’

  She looked at him, the breath leaving him now, the life almost ebbed away.

  ‘You can’t die, LB will never forgive me if you die.’

  ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘she will.’

  ‘I will never forgive me if you die.’

  ‘There is nothing to forgive.’ He smiled. ‘Ruby Redfort, you made my life better than it was,’ he whispered. ‘Close your eyes and see the truth.’ He closed his own and was gone. And Ruby laid her head on his heart and sobbed.

  THEY SAT TOGETHER ON THE ICE, the child, the woman and the dog. They sat there because their grief would not allow them to move.

  The woman held his hand in hers and pulled it to her cheek and felt his touch for the last and final time. A single tear fell from her eye and landed near his own, and they shared the sorrow, one dead, one living, both loves cut short.

  And when she did speak she turned to the girl and said,

  ‘I must thank you, Ruby Redfort. I must thank you twice, once for bringing Baker back to me, and once for freeing me of my guilt.’

  And Ruby put her arms around her and hugged her tight.

  RUBY HAD FELT ADMIRATION FOR MANY PEOPLE in her lifetime, but none perhaps so great as the admiration she felt for LB that day. LB had lost him twice, this friend, this colleague and treasured soul, but she did not cast around for someone to blame. Instead she did what had to be done, made the calls, gave instructions and flew him home. But the more remarkable thing was the way she took Ruby in hand. Two days after the tragedy at the lake, Ruby and LB met.

  LB, dressed in a white hooded coat, was sitting on the bench under the oak on Amster Green. The sun was setting and a delicate snow had just started to fall. She had contacted Ruby and asked if she would meet her here, ‘not in Spectrum,’ she had said.

  LB looked up as Ruby approached, and raising a hand, she smiled.

  ‘How are you?’ asked Ruby.

  ‘Full of sorrow,’ said LB.

  They sat watching the snow until LB spoke.

  ‘I will always be in your debt,’ she said. ‘You found Bradley Baker.’

  He’s dead, thought Ruby, and that’s down to me.

  ‘It’s not your fault,’ said LB, as if she could read her mind. ‘Baker came to find you in the Northern Mountains because you were part of his team; it’s what any agent would do. His death is down to Novak. We know Novak’s instructions came from the Count and the Count has been working for Morgan. So if you want to direct your loathing at anyone, let it be those three, and more specifically the two who are still out there. Do not waste valuable energy beating yourself up, it’s no good to Baker and he wouldn’t like it.’

  Her face was set firm: nothing to be negotiated.

  On the issue of Hitch, the Spectrum 8 boss was equally clear. ‘Until we know otherwise, Hitch is considered missing, not dead, and we will concentrate on what needs to be done.’

  What needed to be done was the partial shut-down of Spectrum 8. Only a skeleton staff was kept in situ and there was no question of Ruby walking into the subterranean headquarters any time soon.

  But Ruby also had other things to occupy her mind, concerns outside of Spectrum and the drama of Casey Morgan and the Count and whoever or whatever might be lurking in the shadows. The most immediate being: would arriving back home having been so long away spark a series of impossible questions? Would her parents wonder where she had been all this time? Would Mrs Digby have called in Sheriff Bridges and filed a missing person report? And Principal Levine? What would he make of this three-day absence? Would she return to Twinford Junior High only to be faced with a series of detentions?

  But she needn’t have worried. It was quite clear when she walked into the house that Hitch had done his job; he’d had it all covered. Ruby was supposedly on some snurferboarding trip which her parents had clean forgot about. All excuses made ahead of time, no need for explanations. He had even made provision for himself, explained his own absence in a brief letter to her parents.

  ‘An unforeseen personal situation has called me away, and I have organised for someone to cover for me while I am gone. In the unlikely event that I am unable to return to my post as house-manager, I will have the agency make provision for a permanent replacement. I apologise for the doubtless inconvenience caused, and I deeply regret the short notice.’

  There was a short list of things to pass on to Mrs Digby, a long list for Sabina, a message about the new alarm system, and a word of assurance in the form of a P.S. –

  You will find my replacement supremely capable.
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  He was some house-manager, some secret agent, and one very remarkable man.

  The Bug injury was harder to explain since Hitch had not been aware that the dog would play a part in any mountain rescue, but Ruby was a quick thinker and she came up with a more than adequate story.

  When Ruby walked into Green-Wood House and upstairs to the living room, she found her mother standing in front of the huge picture window, looking out at the snowflakes which were dropping lazily from the sky. The fire was lit, the tree trimmed, Christmas cards decked the piano, and all in all it was a very pretty sight.

  Maybe it was looking upon this cosy scene, or maybe it was the fact that Ruby had looked into the eyes of a legend as he had faded away. Maybe it was LB’s ability to survive his death, maybe it was something to do with being buried alive, maybe it was because it had been her parents’ faces she saw when the snow packed in around her. Maybe it was because it was Mrs Digby’s voice that had reached her in her most desperate hour, maybe it was all of these things, but when Sabina Redfort held out her hand and said, ‘Rube, how about you and I grab ourselves a nice chicken dinner at Pollo’s?’ Ruby found herself saying, ‘I’d like nothing better,’ and she meant it.

  Pollo’s was the perfect place to be on a pre-Christmas night. A lot of people had had the same idea and the restaurant was busy. They had left Bug sleeping downstairs in Mrs Digby’s apartment, his leg now encased in plaster. It was a bad break, but it would mend just fine.

  ‘So did Bug really save your life?’ asked Sabina.

  ‘Uh huh,’ said Ruby. ‘My snurferboard landed me in a hole and if he hadn’t pulled me out then I would have died for sure.’ She looked at her mother. ‘I feel just dreadful about his leg, it was on account of me he broke it.’

  ‘I knew those snurferboards were a bad idea,’ said her mother. ‘Why anyone would want to tie a plank to their shoes and head full tilt down a mountain I will never know.’

  They talked of school and Mrs Drisco’s annoyance at Del for proving her wrong about the corridor rules. Principal Levine had conceded that since roller-skating was not mentioned on the long list of prohibited corridor activities, Del Lasco could not be punished with litter-picking duty. That said, she had better not do it again or she would be on litter-picking duty for the rest of her days.

  ‘I’m glad Principal Levine saw sense – that Mrs Drisco should think about retiring,’ said Sabina sympathetically. Also discussed were: Vapona Begwell’s decision to sing in the carol concert, ‘one can only imagine the sound that kid’s voice is likely to honk out,’ and Clancy’s struggles with his French exam, ‘I guess I could help him, said Sabina, ‘my French has gotten pretty good now. Est-ce-que vous avez la taille en dessous?’

  ‘Yes,’ agreed Ruby, ‘I am sure Clancy will find phrases like that very handy.’

  And then Ruby’s father arrived.

  And so they talked of the approaching holiday and the big New Year’s Eve party to be held at the old Eye Hospital.

  ‘I’ve got some incredible news for you, Rube,’ her father said, ruffling her hair. Ruby put her hand up to straighten her locks and realised something was missing – the fly-barrette was gone. With all that had happened, she simply had not noticed. She was sure she’d had it when she’d returned from the lake, yes definitely, she remembered Clancy asking her if Hitch had tried to contact her on the tiny transmitter. So where was it?

  ‘Are you OK, Ruby honey?’ asked her father.

  ‘Yeah, sure, I just lost my barrette is all,’ said Ruby. ‘What were you going to say?’

  The news was that Brant Redfort, who was owed more than a few favours by party hosts Mr and Mrs Hassensack, had acquired a few extra invitations.

  ‘This means you and Clancy can cheer in the New Year with everyone – Mouse, Elliot, Red and Del – you’re going to have a blast,’ said Brant.

  ‘They’ll need to start thinking about costumes,’ said Sabina.

  ‘Your mother and I want you and your pals to have the greatest time,’ said her father. ‘You really deserve it. I took a look at your grades and you are just about acing every class.’

  ‘I don’t know where she gets her brains from,’ said Sabina, ‘but it’s more likely to be you than me.’

  ‘Nonsense, honey,’ said Brant, ‘you’re smart as a whippet.’

  ‘Whip,’ corrected Ruby. What she didn’t say was that all she really wanted to do was stay home, turn the locks in the doors, hunker down and pull the covers up over her head. But instead she just said, ‘Geez, thanks Dad!’

  When dinner was just about finished Sabina sighed and said, ‘Boy, do I ever wish Hitch was here.’

  ‘We all do,’ said Brant. ‘But he’ll be back.’

  ‘What’s more,’ said Sabina, ‘I miss Mo too. There was just something about that man that made you want him to stick around.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Brant. ‘You couldn’t meet a nicer fellow.’

  ‘I had hoped he might want to spend the holiday with us,’ said Sabina. ‘Do you think there’s a chance?’

  Ruby shook her head. ‘I don’t think he’s coming back this way.’

  ‘A pity,’ said her father.

  ‘But I know for a fact that he would have liked to,’ added Ruby.

  ‘Shame,’ said her mother, ‘but he left me just the nicest note.’

  ‘A note?’ said Ruby.

  ‘Yes,’ said Sabina, taking it from her purse. ‘See?’

  Dear Redforts,

  Thank you for your warm hospitality. I loved every minute of the time I spent with you. I am only sorry it couldn’t have been a lot longer. Please forgive me for not saying farewell in person, but where I had to be just couldn’t wait.

  Yours with affection, Mo

  P.S. look after that kid of yours, she’s one in a million.

  ‘And you know what?’ said her mother. ‘He’s right, Rube, you really are the most incredible kid.’

  ‘So say all of us,’ agreed her father.

  Hitch was being missed for a whole lot of reasons. Though he had provided more than adequate cover, house-manager Luke Philips (or to those in the know, Agent Philips from Spectrum 1) was indeed supremely capable. Things moved like clockwork in the Redfort home, every household issue was attended to, and though no one was aware of it, their security was monitored and every safety procedure followed. But life seemed dull without Hitch. His replacement had little interest in engaging with Sabina’s whims and fancies, Brant gave up attempting to chat to him about his day at the office, and Mrs Digby felt a little affronted that this man never ate seconds of her home-cooked nourishment. Ruby crossed her fingers, and then her toes for good measure, and hoped that Hitch would surprise them all and walk through the door before Christmas.

  But the only surprise that walked in that Christmas came through the doors of Twinford Junior High. No one believed she would turn up, no one imagined she would actually climb onto the stage and stand there in front of the entire school, but she did. Vapona Begwell not only got up on stage but she sang a solo and – biggest surprise of all – she had a voice which left her audience teary-eyed for all the right reasons.

  ‘Simply looking at the kid could just about scare the pants off a person,’ commented Sabina, ‘but when she hits the high notes, I mean who could care less about pants?’

  And then came Christmas and Mrs Digby cooked her goose and five different vegetables and served eggnog and biscuits and cake and ham and so on, and still Hitch did not walk through the door.

  And Ruby, she began to give up hope that he ever would.

  IT WAS ONE DAY DURING THE WEEK between Christmas and New Year that Ruby stumbled across something very small and not particularly thrilling. It was as she was pulling notebook 114 from the stack that the whole pile of yellow books toppled and slid untidily between the joists.

  ‘Darn it,’ Ruby muttered. She didn’t want to have to waste time getting them all back in order; she lifted them out, a few at a go, and stacked them the
re on the floor, as far as possible keeping them in their correct position. She did this by turning them face down so the most recent books were on the bottom of the piles and the earliest on the top. As she picked the last remaining notebook from the hole in the floor, so she revealed something she had no memory of at all. She reached in and pulled it out. It was yet another little notebook, but this one was not yellow. Instead it was blue and had an illustration of a little fluffy dog on the cover, a cartoony thing with big eyes, the sort of image Ruby might once have considered cute. She opened it, flicking through the pages, only a little curious to see what they held.

  There was a date, November 1962, though it was spelled Novmember 1962, written in her own little-girl handwriting, which wasn’t bad considering she had still been a few months shy of three. She remembered studying handwriting from a calligraphy book she’d found in the library, and the first few pages were just filled top to bottom with the alphabet as she practised her joined-up letters. But as they went on little sentences appeared.

  ‘we have a new white couch, mom says no eating food any wher near it’

  ‘misses Beesman has 50 cats and 3 mor new ones.’

  ‘mom took me to see misses Humberts new baby it is named Quent he looks very pink and makes a bad noise’

  ‘mom and dad said we can not have a dog you are to yung.’

  ‘misses digby made pancakes I ate 12.’

  It was pretty riveting stuff and it continued in that vein.

  ‘spilled banana milk on the couch it would not rubb off but I moved cushons on top so it is gon’

  But then it got more interesting.

  ‘mr pinkoton has left he did not say goodbye.’

  OK, so her three-year-old self had noticed the old man’s departure.

  But it was this line which really grabbed her.

  ‘misses Beesman has a dog in her yard I herd it barking.’

  ‘the dog has been barking for one hole week and one day.’

  The eccentric lady who kept all those cats in her yard now had a dog? That was strange; strange because Mrs Beesman didn’t like dogs, strange because as far as anyone knew she had only ever kept cats. Ruby turned the page to see what else she had noted.